The deletion message isn't being changed as part of this; I'd be happy to discuss that but since it'd be a wording change rather than a policy change I don't think now is the time to do so. I do want to add a checkbox in the timer generator so that the "If this article is over a year old…" text will be omitted by default but can be shown when necessary.

Greater clarity for procedures around score-based deletions.

Do we have a draft on what this would look like? I feel like a lot of newer users who coldpost get confused, and we should be very clear in the deletions message as to what exactly is going on

This is the second discussion for this proposal. The first discussion generated a lot of feedback in the last 24 hours or so, so I took some time to make the suggested revisions. In particular, we'll be retaining deletion timers for score-based deletions.

Motivation

Over the years, I've noticed a few pain points and headaches with respect to deletions. I've attempted to remedy those with new versions of the mainsite and 05 Deletions Guides, which include some policy and procedure changes.

Proposed new guides and policies

Mainsite Deletions Guide draft
05 Deletions Guide draft

Current guides, for reference

Mainsite Deletions Guide
05 Deletions Guide

Notable changes

• JS may witness deletions with the prior approval of the Captain of the MAST Deletions subteam. This enlarges the pool of available witnesses while also allowing JS to gain experience with the deletions process.
• Explicitly allow deletion for any page that a user was not allowed to create in the first place. This replaces the rather nebulous "gaming site procedures" reason and allows for more specificity. (E.g. "witnessing for deletion as a page created by a user evading their ban.")
• The concept of summary deletion has been removed. Deletions are deletions; there are slightly different procedures depending on deletion reason, but the division of deletions into regular and summary added unnecessary complexity.
  • Related to the above, any page eligible for deletion for any reason will be tagged in-deletion. This replaces the prior system where pages eligible for deletion due to score were tagged deletion-range but no tag was available for pages eligible for deletion for any other reason.
• Streamline AI/trolling deletions by counting votes to ban a user for a page's content as votes to delete those pages. The underlying thought here is that if a member of staff says that a page is AI-generated for purposes of determining whether its author should be banned, they shouldn't then need to say it again for purposes of determining whether the page should be deleted.
• Users are encouraged to delete their own failing articles.
• Greater clarity for procedures around score-based deletions.

Please don't hesitate to make suggestions related to both the policies being introduced and the wording of the guides.

Discussion will continue for one week.

Change log

• Added limits on ex post facto application of the "user is not allowed to post" deletion reason
• Explicitly list cases where deletions timers are used